Headfile

A look back at an all-time favorite

The Sennheiser HD595, as old a model as it may be, is still one of our favorites. Why? Because it’s just so easy to listen to that all that’s left for us is to enjoy the music. And that’s what music lovers want, don’t we? Enough of the critical over analysis of frequencies, tonality, staging, what-have-yous, these cans make us enjoy that which matters the most—the material.

So after nearly three years of constant use, what can we add to what has already been said (repeatedly)? Some rants about the build quality for starters. We saw cracks on the (plastic) part that connects the cups to the headband, and the velour pads started to tear off after only about a year of use—from the inside, exposing the foam (it’s still in one piece though).

It still looks nice though, and might still be the most comfortable pair we’ve used (except maybe for the Sennheiser HD555, which is basically built the same). By the way, that (comfort) also adds a lot to the “listening to the music” experience.

The cable and the headband still looks and works the same, even after a couple of unintentional drops. We still use the included headphone rack and we still enjoy it being a “plus” after all these years.

So, to go back a little on why we liked these in the first place, let’s review its sound and value. Back then, in terms of value, one might have questioned the fact that they were not proportionally priced to the lower-classed HD555s (so did we, but we got them anyway). The HD555s were justly priced, and at nearly double its price, the HD595s did not double the overall performance.

And that’s what we thought, except after a couple of marathon listening sessions, we began to understand what more 595s had to offer. We still have very high regard for the HD555 to this point especially when we start looking at its price tag, but the HD595 adds so much more to the listening experience that we’ve justified (and forgiven) its worth.

The Sennheiser HD595 is a well-balanced headphone in our book. It gives an accurate reproduction (fidelity) of the original material which makes your either appreciate or dislike (not hate) a recording. They are not overly critical—as in making bad recordings unbearable to listen to, but you get an appropriate feel of how the record was made. You appreciate good recordings more, but they still give enough slack to bad ones, especially if the song is really good.

Highs are clear, detailed and soft (natural, organic). They provide enough energy to cope with demanding recordings without having to sound harsh. They do not carry the Sennheiser “veiled” sound, but they still sound quite laid back (as opposed to maybe an AKG or a Grado).

The mids are well-balanced and detailed. Ambient sounds are easily distinguished and can be placed. They work wonders on female vocals and acoustic instruments, and we consider this type of music as its forte. They can handle heavier recordings but, to put it lightly, they weren’t made for those. But hey, nothing can suit all types of music, which is why we look for balance.

Bass is tight, clear and ample. They maybe the type which we’d imagine the younger generation to label “weak,” but we feel they reproduce the recorded bass frequencies just the way they were intended to. These are not DJ headphones anyway, but again we go back to that overall balance.

The soundstage is really deep on the HD595. Alright, maybe they’re not that wide but they do sound full. But for a fuller, albeit wider soundstage, we’d already go to a flagship model, and the 595s are not.

So, “balance” just might have been the focus of our review (look back), but that is what we really like about the HD595. If we were to leave only one pair from our collection, I know a couple of our editors would definitely go for these cans. I myself have enjoyed countless of listening sessions with these. And on those times, I did not for once criticize (or maybe even thought of what I was using) the cans for I was so engulfed with the music.

The AKG K 81 DJ was made with semi-professional DJs in mind—same kind of professional sound quality with cheaper but dependable equipment. Their closed-back style provide optimum isolation from ambient noise, and can take heavy usage, with high SPL capabilities to ensure excellent sound quality.

Out of the box, we could not help but marvel at the K 81 DJ’s build quality. For its price, it is definitely built like a tank. The headband is made of solid aluminum wrapped with think durable plastic, which is then wrapped by a sort of thin layer of rubber. The touches of brushed aluminum on the cups make them look sophisticated. The ear pads are pleather which we found ample thick.

The headband adjusts like a typical set of headphones, with that numbered “click” that indicates how far you’ve gone. The earcups rotate ala typical DJ headphones. The earcups cover the average man’s ears easily, and our tester, Rob, who considers his ears as on the big side, did not encounter any discomfort even after an hour of use.

We felt the the cord on the K 81 DJ was quite long for the typical media player user, and we felt that AKG addressed this issue with the club DJ in mind more. No worries, since “DJ” is part of its name to begin with.

The K 81 DJ’s sound signature is one where the uppermost highs remain “rolled-off,” but the lows are quite defined without sounding to “boomy.” The soundstage is quite impressive and wide, which is lacking on most DJ-styled headphones. We felt at times that the AKG needed some “eq-ing” but that was when we were in the audiophile state of mind.

The mids are not as “rolled-off” as the highs, but not as forward as the bass either. So if you would, you could imagine the overall frequency response of the K 81 as an inclined plane towards the lower frequencies. Some might consider the effect of this as “laid-back” especially when one deals with vocals. A little EQ would fix this. However, we could tell that the real true tonality was already there.

Again, the bass response on this thing might be a little to out there especially for those used to really balance, refined sound. We reckon that the bass impresses the younger generation apart from it being a DJ’s headphone, but even so, the bass was quite defined and textured which ears some respect for those very critical with the way frequencies are boosted.

The K 81 DJ does a very good job of blocking ambient noise, in this case, big party PA systems, while easily preventing leakage to the outside—this is especially useful for college dorm-dwelling users. It also has a very efficient impedance which makes it great to pair with iPods and other media players. However, a quality headphone amplifier, no matter what these cans’ impedance were designed for, would make a worthwhile improvement to the overall sound.

We love the K 81 DJ because it is not just “acceptable.” We found that for its price, we considered it “really good,” which meant it more than “delivered” for us.

The Sennheiser HD497, the top model of Sennheiser’s StreeWear range, has a frequency response of 37-21,000Hz, an impedance of 32 ohms, and an SPL rating of 112 dB—all of which makes it a little short of being considered “audiophile material.” However, at  around $76 (list price), a typical media player-carrying commoner can enjoy a far superior sound by shelling out a little more. Find out the strengths of the HD497.

Below are some good reviews of the Sennheiser HD497.

dinosauract from Pennsylvania, USA talks about the mids, lows and highs

“The mid-range is excellent, very smooth and detailed. Vocals sound right on, sibilants being reproduced perfectly, a very difficult thing to achieve in low priced gear, and something that plenty of expensive stuff doesn’t get right. Subtle changes in pitch of vocals, guitars, and piano are reproduced with realism.”

“The top end is very well extended and detailed as well, but it doesn’t throw the sound in your face. Cymbals, shakers, and violins sound like the real thing. Violins can sometimes have a little bite, and this is reproduced very well with the 497’s. They don’t exaggerate the high end, but it definitely is not rolled off. Nearly perfect, at least to my ears.”

“The bass region is good, but is not quite up to the standard of the rest of the frequency range. Extension is excellent, electric bass, string bass, cellos and even synthetic bass are all reproduced with weight and detail. I love cellos, the subtle overlays of texture are an excellent test of the resolving powers of any piece of equipment. The 497’s excel here. The negative aspect of the bass area is that electic bass seems a little pronounced. There seems to be a slight boost in the mid-bass, meaning that certain notes seem to linger a little longer than they shoud. It is not severe, and on certain tracks it provides a nice warm feel, but it is a coloration.”

Arvi Vaz from Shorewood, WI compares it with a Sony MDR-V600

“I bought this product to replace a Sony V600 I have used for several years and now falling apart. The V600 is a big full cup foldable unit with a heavy curled wire coming from one side. I thought it was a pretty good set of cans but always felt that the sound was somehow constrained. In hind sight, maybe it needed amps. Anyway, the Sennheiser is a big revelation. Deep bass, great mids, really clean highs. On the down side, I feel the cymbals tend to sound tinny. The unit is cheap looking. Connectors are not gold-plated. The cable is thin and usually unruly. Obviously, the material aspects of the product is not up to snuff. But the sound it makes is one of the best I’ve heard.”

A. Louie from Fremont, CA talks about comfort

“In terms of ergonomics, these headphones do hurt my ears a bit. Although the padded ears make it semi-comfortable for me, I have large ears and the left phone presses against the cartilage about a half inch above my earlobe. Not a sharp pain, but a dull pain more like a bruise and gets a bit irritating after a about 30-45 minutes of use. I think this may be an issue with me because open headphones irritate the same part of my ear as well. Also, since I use only for portable listening, the 9′ cord is too long for a portable use and needs to be tied up.”

Photo by Tsuki-yomi.

Limited Editions

AKG adds a personal touch to their heralded K 518 DJ and comes up with a limited edition K 518 LE version. The K 518 LE has the same features as the K 518 DJ but is offered in 7 new colors—white, fuchsia, orange, blue, green, red and yellow. You can now match your headhphones with your favorite media player.

The K 518 DJ/LE was designed by AKG with the personal media player user in mind—very easy to operate and power because of its low sensitivity, light weight, 3D-axis folding mechanism for easy storage, and closed-back supraaural design to isolate ambient noise while on the go.

The K 518 LE sells for $140-$150 in most online retailers. Pictured below is the green version.

MINIAMP AMP800; Ultra-Compact 4-Channel Stereo Headphone Amplifier

The 9.5″ silver/gray half-rack plastic casing of the AMP800 looked sleek and classy but it reminded us a little too much of the Samson C-que8. But buying anything Behringer, you need only look at one thing—the price. The AMP800 is listed at $74.99 which means you could buy one of these in most retailers for less than $50.00. Do not expect any Behringer product to compete with any audiophile-grade component because a standing theme for most of their products seems to be “cheap but decent.”

And so is the AMP800. It has a ton of features including 4 independent stereo channels—each of them having their own 6-digit LED output meter, with each channel having dual headphone outputs. So all in all, you can connect 8 headphones at any time. You also have 2 independent balanced stereo inputs, with which you can match any of the 4 output channels one input at a time, at any time.

So from the looks of it, this amplifier is not best suited for personal use, but rather more for studio or live use otherwise it’s just a waste of its channels. The MICROAMP HA400 might be better for personal use, because it “only” has 4 channels.

Probably the most important component of a headphone amplifier are the op-amps (operational amplifier), and what we found inside the AMP800 were generic 4558s. The 4558 op-amp is the cheapest and most widely used op-amps because it is very economical (has many replacements) and has a wide enough bandwidth.

The AMP800 was built adequately for its price. The casing does not look like “expensive plastic,” the knobs and switches do the job they were intended to, but the inputs looked solid. The paint looks like the kind that chips easy, but we were careful in handling the amplifier so as of now we have not seen any signs of chipping.

The sound had nothing special to it. If you have nice headphones, you might still find the amplifier quite amusing but it did not really bring anything special to the table. The overall feel of the sound is “bright.” Depending on what you pair it with, this can sometimes lead to harsh-sounding vocals especially from female singers. The bass is a little weak on this amplifier and could not properly deliver the lower frequencies. We would have to give credit to the mids simply because we did not find any (or found the least) wrong with it. But nothing special once again.

We wish we could listen to the Samsons and see if there is a reasonable alternative for something in this segment, but for now the Behringer AMP800 is an amplifier which you can use for applications wherein sound quality can be sacrificed for its flexibility (channels & inputs), i.e. live sound or live monitoring on a budget.

First on Headfile—an earphone review. The Sennheiser MX 400s are cheap replacements earbuds for your iPod or other portable media players. How cheap? Some go as low as $8.99.

Sennheiser is a popular and respectable brand so we figured, why not give one of their uber mass-produced consumer products a listen.

First things first, if you’re used to the stock earphones of your iPod, the MX400s will almost certainly come out on top. If you are used to more expensive headphones, you’re going a step backward. But how big of a step backward is what we want to know.

There is also an MX500 model which is $5 more expensive by the way, but we only got our hands on the MX 400. Besides, we could not fathom what a $5 price difference would do in terms of sound quality. All we know is that the MX 500 has an inline volume control.

Compared to the Apple earbuds

Probably the most noticeable difference compared to the iPod’s stock earphones is the bass. After you’ve changed to the MX400, you’ll instantly notice the new lows that the stock earbuds simply did not reach. Great if you listen to a lot of R&B and Hip Hop tracks, but it also makes band music—bass guitas, kick drums sound fuller. Overall, it gives a good flatter response to what you would’ve probably considered harsh sounding before.

The mids are there and better, but the discerning ear might consider it as something that lacks definition. The higher mids to the highs are somehow overthrown by the low mids to the bass frequencies, and as for the highs, it can reach the full spectrum but again, to a lack of definition.

(We feel funny criticizing a $10 earphone already.)

The cord is only 3-feet long so it either works for you or you like the opposite. The case is neat, as in it fits small bags and poches easily and you eliminate cord clutter. The buds are smaller than the iPod’s so these might save you some earache if you find the iPod’s too big for your ears. The foam ends, we found a little loose.

If you don’t like Sennheisers, you can consider the AKG K12P and K14p.

Overall

These earbuds fullfill its purpose of being an “upgrade” to otherwise mediocre stock earphones of media players. Add the $10 price tag, and these become a steal.

The Grado GS1000, currently sporting the “i” as in “GS100i,” is Grado’s top of the line, and only product in their Statement series of headphones. It currently sells short of $1,000 dollars and is comparable (but not in price) with the AKG K 701 and the old Sennheiser HD 650.

6moons and Audiophile Audition did comprehensive reviews for the GS1000 so we’ll highligt the good and the bad, and throw in some opinions from personal experience.

What they had to say

“The new ear cushions and housings are completely different and the result of John & Co. going back to the drawing board and redesigning them from the ground up. This in turn has created a sound signature which I feel is radically different from the Grado house signature we have known and loved.”

“The first thing that struck me about the GS-1000 was the comfort level. …the GS-1000 is one of the most comfortable headphones I have ever tried. The pads are soft and wrap nicely around the ear. They hardly exert any pressure against the ears and head. Previous supra-aural Grados used more pressure.”

“Out of the box, the GS-1000s were very harsh especially on the top. They exhibited overwhelming bass response and the midrange felt very distant and foggy. I urge any potential buyers to demo a used set or take the time to run a minimum of 200 hours on these cans.”

“The first thing to really get my attention then was the level of detail retrieval. Various micro details within the recordings were brought to the foreground with a sense of focus and clarity that I am unaccustomed to.”

“The RS-1 bass response is far punchier in the upper part of the bass but not as accurate as the GS-1000 to make it harder to hear way down low due to the upper bass prominence.”

“For me, the new ‘GS’ might as well stand for ‘Grado with Soundstage.’ The huge soundstage with this can is what I feel truly makes the GS-1000 a statement product as well as contender for one of the best current-production cans on the market.”

What we have to say

The earpads of the GS1000 are definitely the most comfortable of the other Grado headphones that we’ve tried. In fact, we do not consider the other Grados remotely comfortable. What you would see in the construction of the Grados are evidences of it being hand made—not quite the mechanical consistency of other mass-produced cans, but based on Grado’s reputation for quality, we might not hear any complaints on manufacturing defects anytime soon.

What sets the Grado GS-1000 apart from other top-of-the-line headphones is the extra refinement and articulation in the quality of its sound. When you listen to them, you would not doubt that they are the best the company has to offer, much like other manufacturers’ best cans, but it’s you almost feel Grado’s love and passion every time you listen to some material. Much like a Honda NSX and a Ferrari 340—they might give you the same quarter mile times and performance statistics, but they are in very different leagues.

Is is worth the additional $500 in its price tag? For true audiophiles, with out a doubt, it is.

I know, I know, Skullcandy is to headphones as Apple is to computers. Fancy, overpriced, form way over function. But let’s be objective here and find out for real what these cans have to offer. I have searched for reviews from online sellers, and the sad truth is bad reviews really out number the good ones.

The bad

“What a disappointment. I bought these headphones thinking they looked cool and unique. That is about the only praise i have. The overall sound quality was mediocre at best, and there was next to no outside noise muffling. They couldn’t get very loud for their size and they were loose and slid off my head. Within a week they started to break. If you want pretty looking headphones and care nothing about sound quality, these are the headphones for you.”

“Terrible sound. Headphone speakers is not mounted properly—they move inside the shell. It comes with a screwdriver set that does not fit any of the screws on the phones. It’s like listening to headphones through toilet roll tubes. Not made from a sturdy plastic.”

“Great looking and comfortable but the bass is a disappointment. The product has much better highs and lows compared to the Skullcrushers but the Skullcrushers blow the G.I away with the bass.”

The good

“Skullcandy GI DJ Stereo Headphones offer a low cost option for a full-sized headphone. The sound quality is okay for simple mp3 playback. I would like to see more bass out of the 40mm drivers, but what do you expect for $30? The in-line volume control is a nice feature, I use it often. Also the extra ear cups in black was a welcome surprise, as I’m not a fan of camouflage. Skullcandy also included a nice black leather storage pouch for the GI.”

“These are a sick pair of headphones, I recommend them to anyone who doesn’t leave the house without a music player. They are comfortable and stylish, though they are not the most compact headphones on the market.”

“If you’re looking to listen to high bit-rate audio, then the GI’s are not for you. If you are in need of a low cost general use pair of full size headphones (use, abuse, then loose) the SkullCandy GI is for you!”

The Skullcandy G.I. retails for $69.95 and sells for as low as $48.93 on some retailers.

Here’s a compilation of some good reviews for the Beyerdynamic DT 231 closed, supra-aural headphones. These retail for $79.00.

Features

Closed, lightweight, low profile design, good sound impression, powerful low frequency response, single-sided cable, supra-aural ear pads.

Specifications

• Transducer type: Dynamic
• Operating principle: Closed
• Length: 2.5 m straight cable
• Weight without cable: 130 g
• Frequency response: 20 – 18,000 Hz
• Nominal impedance acc. to IEC 60268-7: 32 Ω
• Nominal SPL acc. to IEC 60268-7: 95 dB
• Nominal THD acc. to IEC 60268-7: < 0.2%
• Power handling capacity acc. to IEC 60268-7: 50 mW
• Ambient noise isolation: approx. 2 N

What people are saying

“These phones are so mellifluous that they sound like having a small pair of speakers attached to the sides of the head, that is to say, they sound so un-headphone like! Forget the idea of listener fatigue. The last thing they are is shrill, over analytical. I use them on CD, TV, anything in fact.They may not be the last word in sound detail, but my word they are not tiring and the headband is most comfortable. Also the ears do not get overly hot.”

“Very comfortable, much like the Sennheiser models. Much less bulky and light than anything else as comfortable. Sweet tone.”

“…great bass and tonal balance. Superb highs.”

A review sent by Peter Ecstaticus

I use the beyerdynamic DT 880s mainly in combination with my NAD C-352 Stereo Integrated Amplifier for listening to CDs and DVDs. I have not yet tried them in combination with a headphone amplifier plugged into a mobile player or computer, but directly connected to the NAD C-352 they sound just wonderful, certainly the best I have personally heard so far.

My “infatuation” with the luxury of “best possible sound” reproduced by headphones began only a few years ago, when, after careful consideration, I decided to buy myself a pair of Grado SR-80s. I think they are simply some of the best – not even taking into account the “low” price of this set (certainly for such great sound). But as goes in these things, somehow I wanted even more, like maybe a little less harsh or direct sound (more “rounded”) and a better sense of soundstage, while at the same time retaining the same clarity and refinement of the Grado SR-80s, so I began to look out for something even “better.” Better is of course a relative term, certainly when comparing these two wonderful sets of headphones, both with their own distinctive “character.”

Quality

These DT 880s are more expensive than the Grado SR-80s, but they are indeed better – they offer more for the extra money. Well, they certainly sound different. To me, the DT 880s sound finely analytical, but at the same time “relaxed” and “civilized,” offering a fine balance between the highs, mids and lows, without favoring any of those in an obvious way. Nothing is ever too much “in your face” and at the same time you get the chance to hear a wealth of detail without getting fatigued. I believe this is because the reproduced sound is set within a naturally wide and open soundstage – the feeling of “as if you were there yourself,” especially with opera-recordings and movies. This quality of the DT 880s is especially obvious in recorded performances set within a wide acoustic space. The natural and honest sound-reproduction really pays great dividends here.

In my honest opinion, one cannot go wrong with these headphones. They are really, really great. They offer an extremely clear, honest, wide-ranging and detailed sound picture that is extremely pleasing and refined to the ear, and truly brings out the best in any recording of any kind of music.

I have grown to love them. If you can or would only want to spare the money for just one great set of high-end headphones that will serve all your needs, then these are the ones, I believe. Try these for yourself and be amazed. Highly recommended.